A Christchurch-based telecommunications expert says the city needs to build the infrastructure to support wireless public information systems.
Graeme Woodward of Canterbury University is joining a New Zealand delegation at the Smart City Expo World Congress in Barcelona this week.
Dr Woodward, research leader of the university's Wireless Research Centre, says public safety information is moving from radio to wireless and Christchurch needs to build the necessary infrastructure to support that.
During a major incident he says a wireless system would help a command centre be much more aware what was going on in the field.
Dr Woodward says the huge investment that will occur in Christchurch during the next five to 10 years provides an unprecedented opportunity to rebuild the city along 'smart' principles.
"It allows all the people in the community to be interconnected and have access to a lot of information without barriers."